1993 Mumbai blasts: Tiger Memon's conduit Qadeer Ahmed arrested in UP's Bijnor after 24 years

In a joint operation, the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and Gujarat Police on Saturday arrested a Mumbai serial blast TADA accused from Nazibabad in Bijnor after 24 years.

The arrested terrorist has been identified as Qadeer Ahmed, resident of Nazibabad in Bijnor. He was on the run ever since Mumbai serial blasts of 1993 and was hiding in the district under different names.

Ahmed was the main conduit of Tiger Memon in off-loading arms and explosives at Jamnagar, Gujarat for use in the Mumbai serial blasts.

UP ATS IG Aseem Arun said that Qadeer had played an active role in the supply of arms and explosives used in the blasts. “Qadeer was instrumental in getting the arms and explosive offloaded at Jamnagar in Gujarat”, the IG said.

A Gujarat court had framed charges under the then TADA against him and since then he was on the run and declared an absconder. On a tip off by the Gujarat police, a team of UP ATS, led by Vishwajeet Singh, succeeded in locating the TADA accused in Nazibabad from where he was arrested on Saturday early morning. 

During interrogation, Qadeer admitted his role in the blasts. The Gujarat Police has obtained a transit remand from Bijnor court to take the arrested terrorist to Gujarat for verification of his disclosures.

Arrest of the TADA accused Qadeer is a big success and it may give a new turn to the Mumbai serial blast case to nail Tiger Memon. Six accused, including Abu Salem, have been convicted. Tiger’s brother Yakub was hanged in 2015 but Tiger is still on the run. With the arrest of Qadeer, the investigating agency has found a key witness to tighten the noose around Tiger Memon, feel the UP ATS.